Separator.



.e. H. FRASER.

SEPARATOR. APPLLCATION mn mm 29. 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CoLwAsmNu'roN. D c.

GEORGE HOLT FRASER, 0F NEVI YORK, N. Y.

SEPARATOR.

Original application filed December 29, 1910, Serial No. 599,913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2%, i315.

Renewed March 30, 1915, Serial No. 18,128.

Divided and this application filed June 29, 1915. Serial No. 37,025.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnone-n Hon]: FRASER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of dings, inthe city and State of New York, United States of America, have inventedcertain new and useful lmprovements in Separators, of which thefollowing is a specification, being a division of my application No.599,913, filed December 29, 1910.

This invention relates to devices for separating, sizing, classifying,treating or collecting, materials by utilizing a fluid current, and aimsto provide certain improvements therein.

Heretofore it has been common to distribute material within a feedchamber in which air currents act to draw the fine material into anouter casing, the fines settling in the outer casing and the airreturning to the feed chamber, the coarse material falling through theair-current in the feed chamberand discharging from the bottom of thelatter.

My invention provides improvements e pecially applicable to devices ofthis gen eral character, andin its preferred form it utilizes anon-rotary feed tube and an initial distributer, in conjunction with anan nular exhaust chamber, a blower, a tangential discharge passage forthe exhaust chamher, and a plurality of settling chambers successivelyreceiving the return current and classifying the material in suspensiontherein, a reverse return passage for each settling chamber, means forseparately withdrawing the different products, and a return or blastchamber, and means for tangentially returning the current thereto, andmeans for controlling the current.

invention also includes means for independently driving the distributerand blower, means for adjusting the non-rotary feed spout, improvedbearings and bearing dispositions, and various features of improvementin construction, arrangement and details, all of which will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which show certain adaptations, of myinvention, Figure l is a vertical axial section showing the preferredform of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar section showing a simplerform thereof.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a e in t -lTlT lg m c ni m? thfeed hopper, D the distributer, E a chamber, X a blower, G the dustchamber, H the return passage, 1 the coarse outlet, and j the fineoutlet. These maybe of any usual or suitable construction andarrangement capable of distributing the feed, creating the necessarycurrent, and collecting and discharging the products.

Referring to Fig. l T will now describe in detail the preferred form ofmy invention in the adaptation therein illustrated.

The casing A has a cylindrical'body a, and tapering or conical top andbottom. The upper part of the casing consists of a head 0 which istapered in the form of a truncated cone and'has an annular top al, and acentral opening The lower part of the casing consists of a conicalbottom f, suspended from the top body a. The body a is suspended fromthe top (Z.

The driving mechanism shown consists of a driving shaft it carrying apulley i. This shaft is mounted in bearings in the frame 9, which frameis shown as crossing the machine and suppor ed thereon.

The hopper C is preferably a stationary hopper, adapted to turn in anydirection to connect with any source of feed, and preferably having ascalper and a tailing chute, and a screw threaded discharge outlet.

The feeder is preferably non-rotary feed pipe J which is preferablyvertically adjustable, as by screwing into the hopper outlet, and which.leads into the casing and discharges onto a distributer l: therein, thespeed of feed,being determined by vertical adjustment of the pipe, or ofthe distributer, or of both, as desired.

The distributor is preferably a rotary member, and preferably comprisesa disk K. Opposite the disk K there is located a baflle ring isreceiving the discharge therefrom and deflecting it downwardly towardthe tailings cone 8. Opposite the bafile ring is an annular exhaustpassage P, surrounded by and discharging into an annular exhaust chamberT, which extends downwardly and directs their combined discharge intothe annular return passage ll, through which it passes to the dustchamber G. As the current descends in' and e capes from the passage Uthe heavier dust may be close to the outer wall, from which it willslide into the chamber G, and the inner air will be correspondinglycleaned. The chamber has a cylindrical annular discharge pipe 4). As theair discharges from the passage U into the settling cham ber G thereturning air is drawn from it by an annular intake V, of greatersuperficial area'than that of the passage U and immediately adjacentthereto, so that the downward motion of the dust in the discharge fromthe passage U may have op portunity to throw out much dust centrifugallywithin the chamber G as the air current reverses to reach the return V.The air in the chamber G- cleans itself by the process of settling, andby momentum and precipitation, before escaping through the return V, thearea of which relatively to the passage U is sufiiciently great to sodiminish thespeed of low of the return current for the air to freeitself of floating articles.

An annular suspended wall to constitutes the partition between thepassages U and V and serves as the outer wall of the return passage V.The cone X constitutes the inner Wall of this passage as well as onebottom wall of the succeeding settling chamber 0, and has a cylindricalannular discharge pipe 3 traversing the chamberG, and an outlet w.

The air current flowing through the inlet of the return passage V,swings inwardly past the damper W and upwardly over the top edge of thecone X, and then flows eventually through the chamber 0 to the passage Hwhich has a cylindrical or annular pipe 2 descending through the centerof the chamber 0 and the pipes 41 and g and concentrically surroundingthe tailing and blast pipe 8', from whence it may continue to thesuction chamber 0), from which the air will be drawn through thetangential suction passage N by the blower X. In flowing to the passageP the air must traverse the descending shower of material falling fromthe distributer, composed of coarse and fine material, from which, asthe current passes through, particles fine enough to be floated by itwill be carried outward and downward through the blast chamber T, whilecoarser materialwill fall to the tailings cone S. 1

hen independent speeds of the distributer and the blower is desiredthese are differentially or separately driven. The distributer iscarried on a tubular head 13, which is suitably spaced above it topermit the necessary passage for material between the disk K and thehead, and which extends upwardly around the pipe J, and is adjustablysuspended from the bearing D, and is driven by a pulley 2'. The bloweris driven by a pulley H.

For classifying or grading the fines my invention preferably providesone or more classifying chambers, between the dust chamber G and thereturn chamber H. One auxiliary settling chamber 0' is shown,

which is preferably concentric of and partly inclosed in the chamber G,and surrounds and partly envelops the chamber E. The discharge from thechamber G slowly flows therefrom toward the inlet 0' to the firstclassifying chamber,v and is discharged downwardly in the latter throughthis conoutlet P leading to the return passage H or to the succeedingclassifying chamber if several are used, where theclassifying isrepeated as often as desired. From the last classifying chamber thedischarge is taken through the return passage H and into the.

suction or exhaust chamber '22 as before explamed. Any deslred number ofthese classifying chambers may be interposed between V the discharge andthe suction chambers and the fineness of product to be collectedvin eachmay be determined by properly proportioning the chambers, or the currentspeeds, or the superficial area of the inlet and outlet. A separateoutlet spout may be provided for each chamber, or the variousseparations may be combined 1n one outlet,

in which case the auxiliary chambers will simply be used as supplementalpurifiers of the current returning to the separating chamber.

The return passage H constitutes a sinuous conduit between the finechamber G and the distributing chamber E, and when one or moreintermediateclassifying chambers are interposed these are essentially apart of the return passage, and constitute enlargements or modificationsthereof suited to effect the desired current modification best suited tothe particular functions of each intermediate chamber. Making theseinter mediate chambers'concentric and annular, and nesting them togetherbetween the tailings cone and the conical bottom of the separatorattains great compactness, while permitting uniform annular currentpassages which facilitate uniformity of speed of fiowat allsides ofanypart of any passage or chamber. This uniformity throughout the effectivepart of any compartment or passage is a featureof my invention which isaccomplished by extending cylindrically the termination of any conicalmember into the cylindrical portion of the next succeed ing member, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This is done where height limits permitand the uniformity is essential. But in the construction shown in Fig. 1this feature is only partially utilized.

This invention provides an external exhaust and an external blast, whichmay be used in conjunction with or in substitution for the internalblower. I prefer to provide a suction or externalreturn passage \Vcommunicating with the chamber G through the passage H and extendinghorizontally and opening into the chamber '0 as a tangential exhaust Wwhich leads to an outside fan or outer blower X. The pipe W drawstangentially from an annular centrifugal whirling or cyclone chambersurrounding the lower end of the pipe 2 which afiords a dust apron w inthe drum 4;. An annular outlet w withdraws dust settling in this drum.The blower X exhausts through the pipes Y into a drum Z located belowthe chambers E and 4: having a tubular central blast outlet y thereinand an internal equalizing annular centrifugal whirling or cyclonechamber 2 surrounding the lower open end of the tailings pipe 8 toinsure uniform distribution of the current within the drum. The currentmay be increased or regulated by regulating the outside blower X, or bya butterfly or other valve in either its blast or suction pipe C in Fig.1 is such a regulator.

In operation the material entering the feed pipe will be controlled byits adjustment, the speeds and currents will be regulated to give thedesired results and the various products will be separately withdrawnaccording to classification. One or all of the methods of classificationwill be used according to particular requirements.

When a single classification with an outside blower will suffice themodification shown in Fig. 2 may beused, in which the tailings pipe 8 isextended into the pressure drum Z and constitutes a continuation of theblast pipe Y beyond which its outlet I discharges, and the passage Hsurrounds the cone S and its outlet and constitutes a part of thesuction pipe W, opening into the centrifugal drum '0 which in thisinstance surrounds both pipes. In this view the improved scalper N isshown above the hopper C. This scalper consists of parallel wiresalternately of greater longitudinal extension at their lower ends whichare bent at right angles and extended a sufficient distance beforemeeting the adjacent part of the chute which supports them, thus leavingan overhanging part of sufiicient depth to clear any nail or other largepiece which hangs through the scalper and extra room at its extremityfor its escape.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to theparticular details of construction, arrangement and combination setforth, as it can be employed in whole or in part according to anymodifications.

What I claim is:

1. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing thematerial therein.

means for causing a current to traverse material distributed therein,and a settling chamber, in combination with means outside of said casingfor generating such current, means comprising suction and blast passagesconnecting said generating means with said casing, means providing anequalizing chamber in said suction passage having a tangential outlet,and an annular wall com prising a tubular portion of such suctionpassage and having an open end projecting within said equalizing chamberand affording a partition within the latter.

2. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein, means for causing a current to traverse material distributedtherein, and a settling chamber, in combination with means outside ofsaid casing for generating such current, means comprising suction andblast passages connecting said generating means with said casing, meansproviding an equalizing chamber in said blast passage having atangential inlet, and means comprising a tubular member affording anoutlet conduit for coarse material and a passage for returning currentbelow said distributing means and having an annular open end projectingwithin said equalizing chamber and affording a partition within thelatter.

3. In mparators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein, means for causing a current to traverse material distributedtherein, and a settling chamber, in combination with means comprising anexhaust passage having an inlet communicating with and concentric ofsaid settling chamber, a tubular member atlord ing a conduit forreturning current and an outlet for coarse material inwardly of andsurrounded by said inlet, current generat ing means outside of saidcasing, a suction pipe connecting said exhaust passage with saidgenerating means, and a blast pipe connecting said generating means withsaid tubular member.

4. In separators and the like, a casing. means for distributing materialtherein, means for causing a current to traverse mater'al distributedtherein, and a settling chamber, in combination with means outside ofsaid casing for generating a current, suction pipe connecting thesuction side of said generating means with said settling chamber,tubular member affording a downward conduit for coarse material and anupward conduit for returning current, and a blast pipe connecting theblast side of said generating means with said tubular member.

5. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein. means for causing a current to traverse ma terial distributedtherein, an annular and descending chamber surrounding said distributingmeans, and a settling chamber be-.

interior of said casing inwardly of said distributer.

6. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein, a tailings cone affording a feed chamber below saiddistributer, and an annular chamber surrounding said distributer, incombination with an annular suction pipe surrounding said cone and incommunication with said chamber, current generating means outside ofsaid casing, a drum in which the outlet end of said suction pipeprojects and having an annular chamber surrounding such projecting end,and a tangential suction pipe communicating with said annular chamberand said drum and extending tangentially therefrom to the suction side.of said generating means, and a blast pipe connecting the blast side ofsaid generating means with said feed chamber.

7. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein, and means for causing a currrent to traverse materialdistributed therein, in combination with a tailings cone having a loweropening and aifording a downward passsage for coarse material and anupward passsage for returning current, a settling chamber surroundingsaid cone, current generating means outside of said casing, a suctionpipe communicating with said settling chamber and connected to thesuction side of said generating means, and a blast pipe connect ed tothe blast side of said generating means and discharging into the loweropening of said cone for returning the current through the coarsematerial descending in the latter.

8. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein, a tailings cone having a'lower opening, and a settling chambersurrounding said cone, in combination with tubular means affording apasssage for material concentrically downwardly in said casing, anannular suction conduit surrounding said tubular means and communicatingwith said settling chamber, current generating means outside of saidcasing, a suction pipe connected to said suction passage and to thesuction side to said generating means, and a blast pipe connected to theexhaust side of said generating means and discharging a return currentthrough the lower opening of said cone.

9. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributing materialtherein, and means for causing a current to traverse materialdistributed therein, in combination with a settling chamber having acylindrical annular outlet, a second settling chamber having acylindrical annular outlet traversing said first mentioned chamber, asuction pipe inwardly of said second chamber affording an annularpasssage therethrough, a tailings pipe inwardly of said suction pipe andaffording a conduit for returning current, a blower outside of saidcasing, a connection between the suction side of saidblower and saidsuction pipe, and a blast pipe leading from said blower andcommunicating through said tailings pipe with said casing.

10. In separators and the like, a casing, means for distributingmaterial therein, and tubular means affording a downward passage formaterial therethrough, in combination with concentric superposed annularsuction and blast chambers surrounding said tubular means, currentgenerating means outside of said casing, and means connecting saidgenerating means with said chambers. v

11. In separators and similar devices, a

vcasing, and means for supplying material thereto, in combination withmeans for causing a current toflow within the casing, a tube affordingan exhaust passage for such current comprising an an nular wall havingan open end affording an outlet passage at one extremity, meansproviding an annular centrifugal exhaust chamber surrounding said walland communicating with said passage, and a tangential pipe afiording aperipheral outlet from said chamber.

12. In separators and similar devices, a casing, a distributer forfeeding material therein, in combination with means for delivering acurrent beneath said distributer and inwardly of the distributedmaterial, consisting of a tubular member affording a conduit fordescending material and a passage for ascending current having anannular opening intermediate of its extremities,

a, blast pipe having an outlet communicating with said opening, andcurrent generating means outside of said casing supplying current tosaid blast pipe.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV SOHONHEIT, AN'roNIo BUONQ.

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